Bow checking device



May 7, 1963 Filed May 29, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 2 all J) 4? 9'2 2 42-Ill 24 4o 34 12:9

FIG. 2

INVENTOR. GENE E. SMITH BY ATTORNEY y 7, 1963 G. E. SMITH 3,088,212

BOW CHECKING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 48 Gfi/SC) 49III I l 72'" I 70 7s seg -64 78 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

INVENTOR. J GENE E. SMITH ATTORNEY May 7, 1963 Filed May 29, 1961 G. E.SMITH BOW CHECKING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. GENE E. SMITH ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 3,088,212 BOWCHECKING DEVICE Gene E. Smith, 211 Alexander St., Plymouth, Ind. FiledMay 29, 1961, Ser. No. 113,482 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-180) The presentinvention relates to a bow checker and more particularly to a device forchecking and adjusting the distance between the back of the bow handleand the string when the bow is strung for shooting, and for locating thenocking points on the bow string.

In archery the accuracy obtained in placing the arrow on target dependsto a great extent on proper stringing of the bow, with the correctmeasurement for the particular bow being maintained between the back ofthe bow handle and the string and with proper locating of the nockingpoints on the bow string, the foregoing measurement or distance beinggenerally referred to in the sport as bracing height or fistmele andnormally being maintained within a range of seven to eight andonequarter inches. The nocking points are fixed members on the bowstring between which the arrow is placed so that each arrow is shot fromthe same position on the string. The proper location of these points ishighly important for consistent and accurate shooting of the arrows. Itis therefore one of the principal objects of the invention to provide adevice for accurately checking the distance between the back of the bowhandle and string and for properly locating the nocking points on thebow string.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for checking thebracing height and nocking points, which is relatively simple inconstruction and easy to use without any special skill or specialinstructions, and which is so constructed and arranged that it willprovide accurate determinations for both conditions without special careor complicated operations being required.

Still another object is to provide a bow checking device of theaforesaid type which can easily be carried and used by the archer in thefield to check and adjust his bow whenever the bow is strung with a usedor new bow string, and which does not require any additional equipmentor instruments to perform the complete operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for checkingthe bracing height of a bow and the nocking points on the bow string,which clamps onto and is held in place on the bow string throughout thechecking and locating operations and which can be readily assembled onand removed from the string by merely pressing the string in place onthe device and thereafter pulling the device from the string withoutoperating any adjustable clamps or fixtures.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a bow showing it with my bowchecking device mounted thereon in proper position to check the bracingheight and locate the nocking points;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged side elevational view of the bowshown in FIGURE 1 and an enlarged side elevational view of the bowchecking device, showing the latter in position on the bow for checkingthe bracing and determining the position of the nocking points;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the bow checking device shown inFIGURES 1 and 2, With the device being shown in full scale;

FIGURE 4 is an edge elevational view of the bow checking device shown inFIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of my bowchecking device, shown in full scale.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to FIGURE 1 inparticular, numeral 10 designates a bow designed primarily for targetuse and consisting of upper bow limb 12, lower bow limb 14, handle 16,upper neck 18, lower nock 20 and bow string 23 having loops in each endlooped over the upper and lower nocks. Various types of handles may beused in the how, the one shown including an arrow rest 24, contour grip26 and bow risers 28 and 30 above and below the arrow rest,respectively. The position of the nocking points of the bow string isshown at numeral 32 and consists of lower and upper nocking points 34and 36 of thread or other suitable material, wound or placed around thestring and spaced from one another sufficiently to permit the stringslot or knot of the feather end of the arrow shaft to slip over the bowstring between the two nocking points. For the purpose of the presentdescription, the bow shown in FIGURES l and 2 may be consideredconventional in construction and in the manner in which it is used;however, the present bow checking device is adapted to be used onvarious other types of bows covering a wide range of specialized uses.

The present bow checking device 22 consists of a blade 40 approximately9" long and /s thick of suitable material, either metal, plastic orwood, and a base 42 rigidly attached to one end thereof in T-shapedrelation and extending on either side of the blade approximately 1 /2".The base 42 is likewise approximately an inch wide, four inches long,and an eighth of an inch thick, constructed of the same material as theblade and preferably joined integrally thereto. The form of the presentbow checking device shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 is adapted for use oneither a right handed or a left handed bow, edges 44 and 46,respectively, being used with the two different bows. These two edgesare straight and are adapted to rest on the arrow rest 24 of the bowhandle when the device is being used to check the bracing height. Theblade contains a scale 47 on one side consisting of six, seven, eightand nine inches marked in eighths on both the right hand how edge 44 andthe left hand how edge 46, the scale representing the distance fromstring contact edge 48 of base 42. The base contains two scales 60 and62 extending inwardly, respectively, from lines 64 and 66 projectingacross base 42 from the respective edge 44 or 46 of the blade. Scales 60and 62 are employed to locate the nocking points on the bow string ofthe right hand and left hand bows, respectively.

An elongated notch 68 is provided in the contact edge 48 adjacent thescales 60 and 62 to facilitate marking of the nocking points on thestring. in order to retain the bow checking device in proper position onthe bow string during the checking operation, clamps '70 and 72 aresecured to the ends of base 42, each clamp consisting of leaf springarms 74 and 76 secured rigidly to the respective end of base 42 by abolt 78 extending through holes in the two arms and through a hole inbase 42. The two arms 74 and 76 extend rearwardly from string contactedge 48 of base 42, are bent inwardly to form string gripping jaws 80and 82, and are then bent outwardly at numerals 84 and 86 to form a slotto facilitate insertion of the string into space 88 adjacent the bowcontact edge 48. Space 88 is of such size that the string is engaged bythe contact edge 48 and the two jaws 80 and 82, after the device hasbeen fully assembled on the bow string. With this clamping action, thedevice is held firmly in place on the string once it is properly locatedso that the scales can be read and the bow string properly marked forthe nocking points,' without any likelihood of the device beingaccidentally displaced.

In the use of the present bow checking device just described, the deviceis mounted on the bow by slipping the clamps 70 and 72 over string 23 sothat the contact edge 48 of the device is seated finnly against thestring. Blade 40 is then slipped on the string until thelower edgethereof rests lightly on the arrow rest 24 of the how. The distancebetween the back 92 of the bow handle and the string is then read onscale 47 to determine whether the bow has theproper or desired bracingheight.

the bracing height is incorrect, the string is adjusted by removing oneend thereof from the bow and twisting it, this step being repeated untilthe desired bracing height is obtained. p

The lower necking point on the string is then found by marking thestring with a thin line of chalk or the like, or by placing a threadaround the at a predetermined point on scale 60 or 62, depending onWhether the bow being checked is a right or left handed how. Thecheckingdevice is then removed from the bow, and the lower nockingpointis formed at the mark justmade on the string by winding thread orsimilar material around the string. After the lower necking point hasbeen formed in the manner described, the arrow is placed on the bow withthe string in the notch above the newly formed lower necking point, anda secondnocking point is then placed on the string immediately above thearrow. On completion of this procedure, the bow is in proper adjustedcondition and will normally remain so for extended periods of time.However, frequent checking with the present checking device is desirablein order to determine whether the bow requiresfurther adjustment fromtime to time.

The modification of the present bow checking device shown-in FIGURE, 5contains the same basic features as that shown in the preceding figures,the modified form consisting of a blade 102 and a base 104 ofsubstantially the same size and shape as that shown in the precedingdevice. In this modified form, the blade 102 is joined to the base atone end of the base, forminga rigid L-shaped structure. A scale 106consisting of inches six, seven, eight and nine is provided on the sideof blade 102, the scale representing the distance on the blade from thestring contact edge 108 on base 104. The two clamps 112 are of the sameconstruction and shape as clamps 70 and 72 and are joined to the base byscrews 114 and 116. The straight edge 120 extends the full length ofblade 102 and along the corresponding end of a base 104, forming a point122 for determining the'lower nocking point on the bow string. Anelongated notch 124 and scale 126 are provided at the edge of the baseto permit a thread to be placed around the bow string after the lowernockingpoint has beendetermined without interfering with the setting ofthe bow checking device, the other necking point thereafter beingdetermined as in the first embodiment.

The manner in which the modified form of the bow checking deviceshownin'FIGURE 5 is'used is similar in most respects to the one shown inthe preceding figures. However, in this form in order to check a lefthand how, the device is not inverted as in the preceding embodiment butrather placed in the identical position with the base 104 extendingupwardly from blade 102. In order to make the scale on the blade readilyreadable, the second scale is placed on the side opposite to the oneshown in the drawings, the one shown in the drawings being for a righthand how, and the one on the opposite side of the blade being providedfor a left hand how.

' having an upper straight edge and a lower straight edge,

a scale in inches on said blade, a base member of gener ally rectangularshape being rigidly joined to one end of said blade at right anglesthereto in T-shaped relation and having a string contact edge oppositesaid blade and at right angles to said straight edges, a notch in saidcontact edge spanning an area intersected by lines projected from saidstraight edges, a pair of spring clips spaced from one another on saidbase and'projecting outwardly from said string contact edge, said clipsforming a clamp'for holding the bow string firmly against said contactedge and having a stringreceiving slot facing in the direction oppositesaid blade, and a scale in inches on said base adjacent said notch. V

2. A device for checking the bracing height and locating the neckingpoints on the bow string, comprising an elongated blade being ofgenerally rectangular shape and having an upper straight edge and alower straight edge, a-ba'se member of generally rectangular shape beingrigidly joined to one end of said blade at right angles thereto inT-shaped. relation and having a string contact edge opposite said bladeand at right angles to said straight edges, a notch in said contact edgespanning an; area intersected by lines projected from said straightedges, and a pair of spring clips spaced from one another on said baseand projecting outwardly from said string contact edge, said clipsforming a clamp for holding the bow string firmly against said contactedge and having a string' receiving slot facing in the directionopposite said blade.

3. A device for checking the bracing height and locating the nockingpoints on the bow string, comprising an elongated blade being ofgenerally rectangular shape and having a lower straight edge, a, basemember being rigidly joined to one end of said blade at right anglesthereto in T-shapcd relation and having a string contact edge oppositesaid blade and atright angles to said straight edge, and a pair ofspring clips spaced from one another on said base and projectingoutwardly from said string contact edge, said clips forming a clamp forholding the bow stringtfirmly against said contact edge and having astring receiving slot facing in the direction opposite said blade.

4. A device for checking the bracing height and locating the neckingpoints on the bow string, comprising an elongated blade having a lowerstraight edge, a base member being rigidly joined to one end of saidblade at right angles thereto and having a string contact edge" oppositesaid blade and at right angles to said straight edge, and a pair ofspring clips spaced from one another on said base and projectingoutwardly from said string contact edge, said clips forming a clamp forholding the bow string firmly against saidcontact edge and having astring receiving slot facing in the direction opposite saidblade.

References Cited in the file of this patent Archery Magazine, page 59cited, May 1960,

1. A DEVICE FOR CHECKING THE BRACING HEIGHT AND LOCATING THE NOCKINGPOINTS ON THE BOW STRING, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BLADE BEING OFGENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE AND HAVING AN UPPER STRAIGHT EDGE AND ALOWER STRAIGHT EDGE, A SCALE IN INCHES ON SAID BLADE, A BASE MEMBER OFGENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE BEING RIGIDLY JOINED TO ONE END OF SAIDBLADE AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO IN T-SHAPED RELATION AND HAVING A STRINGCONTACT THE EDGES OPPOSITE SAID BLADE AND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAIDSTRAIGHT EDGES, A NOTCH IN SAID CONTACT EDGE SPANNING AN AREAINTERSECTED BY LINES PROJECTED FROM SAID STRAIGHT EDGES, A PAIR OFSPRING CLIPS SPACED FROM ONE ANOTHER ON SAID BASE AND PROJECTINGOUTWARDLY FROM SAID STRING CONTACT EDGE, SAID CLIPS FORMING A CLAMP FORHOLDING THE BOW STRING FIRMLY AGAINST SAID CONTACT EDGE AND HAVING ASTRING RECEIVING SLOT FACING IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE SAID BLADE, AND ASCALE IN INCHES ON SAID BASE ADJACENT SAID NOTCH.